Hello, everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic week so far, and that you're ready for a chapter chock full of action, drama, twists and turns! This one is sure to keep you on the edge of your seats, so prepare yourself! At any rate, please enjoy!
Once Casey walked April to work, he sighed as he clocked in at the pizzeria. Work was a good distraction for him, but during slower periods, he couldn't help but try to focus on his shine. Before he knew it, his boss nudged him.
"Hey. Your shift's over. You've been running around here like a maniac." He said.
"Better than being a slacker, right?" Casey replied.
"Yeah, yeah, you're a real overachiever. Go home and chill out, will ya?"
"Sure." He said more to himself, grabbing his things to leave.
Meanwhile, April exhaled as she waited outside the news station. She got on her communicator, messaging Leo that she was waiting for Casey. Sometimes, she wished she didn't have to be escorted back and forth- she hoped that once this was all over, she didn't have to be such a burden on her friends. As the sun began to set, illuminating the sky between the buildings with a colorful glow, she smiled lightly when Casey approached.
"Hey. How was work? You smell amazing as always." She chuckled.
"I only smell amazing? Come on, Red, you've got to do better than that."
"Okay, okay, come on. You've got me starving now." April said, the pair turning to head towards the lair.
"Ms. O'Neil."
April turned, Casey hissing lowly as a familiar face approached. "Hey, Mr. Roberts."
"You're doing well, I hope?" He asked, giving a polite but wary nod to Casey, who merely stared at him.
"Yes, and you?" She replied.
"I'm doing very well. I was hoping to steal you away for some time. I wanted to discuss-"
"She's about to have some dinner. Long day worked up an appetite." Casey cut her off.
"Well, no doubt being around you certainly would. April, I can have something a bit more appetizing delivered to my office, if you like. And before you ask, it's my treat." Grayson replied.
"Sounds more like a hot date to me." Casey spat as April cleared her throat.
"Mr. Jones..." Grayson chuckled. "... I'm not offended by your words for the simple reason that I am pretty certain that you don't have the slightest clue what a business meeting entails."
"Business? That's what you're after, huh? I can give you all the business you want, pal-"
"Casey." April sighed. "Yes, we can catch up a bit and I'll fill you in on what's going on."
"Very good. I'll wait for you to wish Mr. Jones a good evening. I would do so myself, but he never seems to not be in a sour mood." He chuckled lightly before wandering off.
As April turned to say something to Casey, he took hold of her arm. "April, do you honestly think I'm just going to let you go with this guy?"
"Casey, I know you two don't see eye to eye, but he is trying to help us. Can you please just cooperate?" She asked.
He hissed out a breath. "Fine." He said with clenched teeth. "As soon as you're done though, you call me and I'm getting you the hell out of there. I hate that jackass."
"Thank you. I'll see you later." April said before walking toward Grayson.
As Casey watched the pair walk down the street, he shook his head, an uneasy feeling growing in his gut. He dug into his pocket, grabbing his communicator. "Hey."
"Casey? Are you guys almost here? It's getting dark out." Donnie spoke.
"Thanks for stating the obvious, four-eyes. No, the town mayor decided he wanted to have a meeting with April at his office. I'm giving them a head start before-"
"You LET her go with him, ALONE?! Are you crazy?!" Donnie exclaimed, Casey pulling away from the communicator as he freaked out.
"Will you shut up for a second and listen? I'm going to track them to his office and wait outside. I can't get inside without breaking in because it's like fort knox and the windows are tinted. I was about to ask you to meet me there in case I need backup, but if you're going to blast out my eardrums, then-"
"I will meet you there in a few minutes." Donnie said tensely before cutting off the call. Casey sighed, shoving the communicator back into his pocket as he mumbled to himself.
Grayson and April finally reached his office building, heading up to his office where they settled in. "So April, what are you in the mood to eat? Here's a menu from the building's cuisine service if you're lacking ideas." He said, handing her the menu. "So... you have some good news to share, I hope?"
"Well..." April started as her eyes scanned the menu. "... it's... interesting news. We might be able to make some kind of breakthrough. I've been speaking to someone who's been trying to help us. The fact is... this thing can't be killed by any assault weapon."
"So have you been able to come to any solution, then?" He asked.
"This is... some sort of psychological being. It's going to take someone with a strong mind to do it. So, Mr. Roberts... the reason I wanted to see you is because... I'm going to need protection." She said. "I don't want to put my friends at any more risk. They've done that already more than I'd like."
Grayson pursed his lip for a moment. "Consider it done."
April blinked. "Really? I- I mean, you don't want me to make a formal request, or-"
"April, I've already stated that I'm willing to provide anything you need. You are the most important player in all this." He replied. "By the way, have you decided what you'd like to have?"
"Hm? O- Oh, yes." April said, telling him her order as she handed back the menu. She shifted a bit in her seat as Grayson got on his phone, calling in the meal.
Meanwhile, Casey glanced over as Donnie approached. "I could electrocute you for this." He crossed his arms, not at all in a pleasant mood.
"Look, I tried to talk her out of it. She thinks he's trying to help." Casey said.
"Yes, April tries to see the best in people. Knowing that, you should have insisted." Donnie said. "By the way, this wouldn't have been an issue if you would have let her just stay in the lair and rest today."
"Will you knock it off? Look, I get it, you're head over heels for her. Here's a wake up call, Romeo; so is half of the city. It doesn't make you any more special."
"Half the city isn't as valued by her as I am, and vise versa." Donnie said. "They think she's beautiful, but they don't love her."
"Oh my- this isn't a Disney movie, Donnie. You aren't going to turn into a prince if she kisses you."
"I wouldn't expect to, the species of the story you're referencing was a frog. Turtles are reptiles, Casey, not amphibians."
"Now you're just being a wiseass." Casey snapped. "Seriously, what do you think? Do you think if you play hero enough times she'll give you a chance?"
"I don't try to 'play hero' with her, Casey. I'm not entertaining this conversation anymore. You're just taking your own insecurities out on me."
"My insecurities? You just can't deal with the fact that she's-"
"Human? And I'm not?" Donnie glared at him. "And you believe that grants you a pass, then? You know what, Casey? You're the one who tries to play hero. If April was in peril, I would be ready to die for her. That's right. You think you're right for her, but could you tell me, right now, that you would die for her without hesitation? See my face, Casey? It's not a human face, but it's dead serious. Think about that the next time you want to have petty banter with me about her." Donnie said before turning to glance away from him, Casey raising his brows in slight surprise.
April glanced over her shoulder as the door opened, Grayson looking up and smiling lightly as an attendant wheeled a cart in with their meals. As they were served, he poured himself some wine.
"Thank you for this... you really didn't have to go through the trouble." April said.
Grayson exhaled slowly. "Ms. O'Neil... you have been a great assistance to me. You see... when I was a boy, I had dreams, like many other children." He pursed his lip. "My sister and I wanted to do great things. I saw that greatness through a political scope. She went another path, but regardless, we never lost sight of that goal. And we also never lost sight of each other. Until, of course... she was killed."
April frowned at this then. "Mr. Roberts... I'm so sorry. I can see why addressing crime means so much to you."
"You have always seemed very insightful, April. As you may be aware... everything has a price. The price to pay is not always monetary, in fact, more often than not, it isn't. There are far more valuable things out there than money. It was powerful for a long time, but... not anymore, not really." He said.
As April listened to him, she glanced over her shoulder, noticing the attendant was standing by the cart, facing the wall. "Is he... waiting for something?"
"No, April. Just for us to finish our conversation." Grayson replied as he sipped from his glass. "There is one more thing I want to show you before you leave here. I know I have not mentioned my sister before today... but we all have a motive behind our actions. They can range from a variety of qualities... for me, I want to finish what she started. You see... the two of us had a troubled upbringing, like many children can claim. She and I were all we had. She and I supported each other's dreams, our goals. When she was taken from me... I swore I would work just as hard to attain her goal as well as my own." He reached over to a drawer, taking out a photograph to hand to April. When she looked at it, however, her heart skipped a beat.
It was the woman she had seen in her vision- long red hair, donning a black hat, dress and shoes.
"Wait a second, wait a second, I know this woman." April breathed.
"Correction... you have seen her. You don't know her. You will never know her, Ms. O'Neil." Grayson said before glancing behind her.
"What do you mean by-" Before she could see what he had glanced at, she was suddenly seized and restrained. Her eyes darted to see she had been grabbed by the very same woman, the attendant no longer there. As she grinned, however, she revealed rows of sharp teeth. While this happened, Grayson rose to his feet, taking another sip of his wine.
"Let me explain this situation, April. I know that the man who you have been obtaining your resources from is the very same man responsible for my sister's death. Once I'm able to find him, he will be dealt with accordingly. But first, I have bigger fish to fry- oh, wait, let me rephrase that. I have bigger turtles to stew. Ah, yes, that's more appropriate." He said as he approached her.
April furrowed her brows as she struggled. "I- I don't understand! Why, what does any of this have to do with-"
"You see, Pennywise doesn't kill everyone, April. Only those who threaten its well-being. I'm a man of compromise, of mutual exchange. When you and your delinquent friend are destroyed, I'm going to acquire your shine. It will be powerful enough to destroy the man who murdered my sister. You see, that was what she strived for... immortality. No, actually, I'm not going to kill him. Rather, I will destroy the one person in his life who is precious to him, just as my sister was the one precious thing in my life. An eye for an eye, so to speak. Many would believe my sister was evil... but she was everything to me. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Your turtles mean everything by you and many look at them as if they are monsters as well. What would you do to save them, April? If you can answer that, you can understand the reason for my actions." He said.
"By siding with this- thing?! You're supposed to be saving everyone from it, not helping it!" April shouted.
"Don't worry. Soon, everyone will see the truth as I will for them to see it. They will see your turtle friends as the monsters. All the while, the creature will be satisfied, and I will get what I want... as well as avenge my sister's death by satisfying her life's intention. And you're going to be the face that makes that happen." As he said this, he took a rose from his desk, smelling it for a moment. "They really are the perfect flower. Beautiful, but scornful." He nodded to the creature impersonating his sister, April's screams muffled as she was smuggled out of the office. As he went back to sit down, he took the picture of his sister into his hand, drinking the rest of his wine. "I'm not afraid of your face." He spoke lowly. "Not anymore."
He set the photo down, placing the wine away before adjusting his tie. He walked out of the office, making his way down the hall. When he turned into the lobby, dead bodies now scattered the space. He glanced down, pursing his lip for a moment as he looked upon the body of the attendant Pennywise had imitated. He went behind the counter, casually flipping the alarm switch. As the sound system blared, lights flashed, security locks activated, and he casually strolled down the corridor, making his way towards the back of the building.
Outside, when the alarm sounded, Casey and Donnie whirled around to see the emergency lights flashing. "Shit!" Casey exclaimed. He stormed up to the front entrance, trying the door to find it locked. "It won't budge. Donnie, get over here and use your nerd hacking kills to-" He was cut off when Donnie thrusted his foot into the door once, twice, three times, shattering the glass so he was able to reach around, using a pick to unlock the handlebar. "... well, that works too."
"Let's go, April is in there!" Donnie snapped at him, Casey following him as they made their way inside. Once Donnie hacked the security pad to access the lobby, they proceeded onward. After a few moments, he slowed to a stop, his brows furrowing in concentration. "Casey, stop fooling around and-"
"She's contacting me." He interjected, slowly looking up. "I can hear her. She's crying for help."
"What?! Casey, where is she?" Donnie exclaimed.
"She... Pennywise... it has her. She was ambushed and it's taking her-"
"Where is it taking her, Casey?" Donnie asked tensely, lightly shaking his shoulders.
"I don't know! She doesn't know, I don't know!" He shouted.
Donnie hissed, turning to jog further into the lobby. He froze upon seeing the dead bodies scattered, inhaling sharply as he looked upon the gruesome scene. Casey approached next to him, shaking his head in disbelief. Dread came over both of them, Donnie breaking into a run past them. He rushed behind the counter, grabbing a book and flipping it open. "Come on, come on..."
"You're rushing me and then you turn around to read some guest book?!" Casey threw his arms up.
"This is a building directory Casey, I'm trying to locate Roberts' office." He snapped. "Here... come on, seventh floor!"
The pair ran to the elevator, but Casey groaned. "It's deadlocked. Part of the security system."
"Oh, for the love of-" Donnie muttered before dashing to the stairs, getting on his communicator. "April. April, please, if you can hear me, please say something." He said tensely as he ran. He finally reached the seventh floor, kicking the door in as he sped down the hallway. He turned into Grayson's office, seeing that it was empty. He frowned deeply when he spotted something, picking up her communicator from off the floor. "April? April!" He shouted as began to search frantically, kicking in every door and looking around every corner. "April! April..." He ran a hand over his scalp, clutching her communicator in his other hand as he sunk to his knees. As Casey finally caught up, approaching him, he got on his own communicator as Donnie's trembling hand moved his glasses to place his large fingers over his moistening eyes.
"Leo. Raph, Mikey, anyone read me?" Casey spoke, swearing under his breath.
Back in the lair, Raph took up his communicator. "Hey, what the hell is taking you girls so long? What are you, going underwear shopping or something-"
"Raph, April was ambushed at Grayson's building. Donnie and I were waiting outside when the alarms were activated, and we can't find her." Casey cut him off.
"What?!" Raph jumped to his feet. "How in the hell did this happen?"
"I don't know. All I know is she needs our help. We found her communicator, but she's gone. It got her." He said through clenched teeth.
"We'll be right there. Let us know if you find anything." Raph said before pocketing his communicator, swearing loudly as Leo approached. "We have to get downtown, now."
Leo furrowed a concerned brow. "Why? What's going on-"
"April's in trouble. I'm gonna murder that fucking clown." Raph spat before striding briskly toward the tunnels. Leo bit his lip, swiftly taking up his katanas. "Mikey! Grab your weapons and let's move, now!"
Meanwhile, Casey looked over his shoulder when he heard the sound of sirens blaring from down below, cops swarming the perimeter of the building. "Shit, we've got to go."
Donnie furrowed his brows. "This is what they had planned." He glanced over. "This ambush was supposed to happen and then we were meant to take the blame for it. By the time we get down there, the police will have already infiltrated this building."
"So we better get our asses moving, then." Casey said, glancing over his shoulder again. "They're in the stairwell. They're moving fast."
Donnie inhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You go. I'll hold them off."
"Are you crazy?! They're- they will throw you right in the slammer if-"
"I don't know how, Casey, but you have a connection with April that no one else has. This was the only way I could track her." He held up the communicator. "If something happens to her, if she dies... then I'll become nothing anyway. She's my everything, Casey. I told you I would do anything for her. Find her, and save her before it's too late." He said before putting her communicator in Casey's hand. "Now go. I'll buy you some time."
Casey nodded, regretfully making his way down the corridor. As much as Donnie irritated him, he never would have asked for this. He glanced back as he was about to descend the back stairwell, police officers filling the other end of the long hallway. As their shouting swelled, surrounding Donnie, he furrowed his brows before tearing away from the sight.
Alright, going to cut this chapter here on one of my famous cliffhangers! So, what happens now? Will April survive? Will Donnie be blamed for what happened, and can Casey and the other turtles find a resolution to this? Find out more in the next update! Leave your thoughts in a review, and thank you for reading!